Plate 15.3.— VERONICA TETRAGONA. 



Family SCROPHULABIACE^.] [Genus VERONICA, Linn. 



Veronica tetragona, Hook. Ic. Plant, t. 580 ; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 530. 



A botanist obtaining his first knowledge of the genus Veronica in the 

 Northern Hemisphere would find it composed almost entirely of herbaceous plants 

 seldom more than a couple of feet in height, and usually much less, the 

 great majority of the species having a decidedly weedy aspect ; but on visiting 

 New Zealand his conception of the genus would be entirely altered. He would 

 see some species attaining the height of trees, one in particular reaching an altitude 

 of 30 ft., with a trunk sometimes nearly 2 ft. in diameter ; and he would find a 

 considerable number forming large and compactly branched shrubs. And at the 

 other end of the scale he would make the acquaintance of two or three species so 

 reduced in size as to form small moss-like tufts on the mountains, sometimes barely 

 an inch in diameter. But in particular would he be surprised to notice a 

 remarkable section of the genus, absolutely unknown in the Northern Hemisphere, 

 in which the leaves are so greatly reduced in size as to become scale-like, and, 

 being closely imbricated and appressed to the branch, give it a curious appearance 

 resembling a strand of plaited cord. From this peculiarity the section has received 

 the name of the " Whipcord Veronicas. ^^ This section contains no less than 

 twelve species, of which V. tetragona, the subject of this plate, is one of the most 

 remarkable. 



Veronica tetragona was first discovered by Mr. J. C. Bidwill during the well- 

 known ascent of Ngauruhoe made by him in the year 1839. His specimens were 

 apparently forwarded to Kew through Mr. Colenso, for in the original description 

 given in the " Icones Plantarum " (t. 580) it states that it was collected " near 

 the perpetual snow on the summit of Tongariro, a high and volcanic mountain in 

 the middle of the Island, gathered, with many other novelties existing there, by 

 a gentleman who visited the Church of England Missionary Station about three 

 days' journey from the mountains, and who gave them to Mr. Colenso." In the 

 " Flora Novae Zelandise " the locality is simply given as " Tongariro ; Bidwill." 

 Flowerless specimens sent by Dieifenbach as having been gathered in Queen 

 Charlotte Sound were, however, the first to reach England, although Dieifenbach 

 could not have collected them at an earlier date than Bidwill. In the absence of 

 flowers and fruit their identity with Veronica was not suspected ; and the scale- 

 like leaves presented such a close resemblance to those of some Podocarpi that Sir 

 W. J. Hooker had a plate prepared for the " Icones " under the name of Podocarpus 

 Dieffenbachii. Bidwill's specimens arrived just in time to prevent the publication 

 of the name, but not of the plate (t. 547). In reference to it Sir W. J. Hookei 

 remarks, " At the time the accompanying figure was drawn and engraved we are 

 not ashamed to acknowledge that it was taken by us for a Podocarpus. Little did 

 we think it was a Veronica, as it has since proved to be, by a comparison with an 

 indifferent flowering specimen, indeed, but undoubtedly the same species given 

 at tab. 580 of the present volume." 



Since the times of Bidwill and other early visitors it has been ascertained that 

 V. tetragona is an abundant plant on the central volcanic plateau of the North 

 Island. It can be observed all round the base of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, and 

 Ruapehu, becoming plentiful at about 3,000 ft. elevation, and ascending to fully 

 5,000 ft. It has also been gathered on the adjoining Kaimanawa Mountains, and 

 on the isolated Mount Hikurangi, in the East Cape district. In the Tararua Range 



